1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of electronic circuit modules, and more particularly to the arrangement and configuration of the components which make up the module.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some prior electronic circuit modules are hard to assemble since they typically do not provide a sequential planar stacked configuration for assembly of the module components. In addition, typically a substantial amount of mounting or fastening hardware is required for such modules increasing the cost and complexity of such modules. Also, such modules may have excessively long, and therefore excessively resistive, conductor paths. These long and complex conductor paths may also cause undesired radiation or reception of RF signals. Such prior conductor paths result because some electrical components must be provided adjacent various peripheral heat sink surfaces or some components must be provided adjacent other components, but all of the circuit output and test leads must be electrically connected to groups of closely spaced pins of one or more module connectors which provide external electrical access. In addition, such prior circuit modules may provide RF bypass capacitors for their connector leads, but this can involve excessive utilization of circuit board space for these RF bypass capacitors and prior bypass configurations may not produce optimum RF filtering results.
While some prior circuit modules have utilized polyimide flex circuits in which metalization patterns are provided on a flexible polyimide film, these modules still have many of the same problems noted above.